Time recorder



Feb. 1, 1944. P. Q. RAST TIME RECORDER Filed Nov. 5, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet1 ATTORNEY.

Feb. 1, 1944. F. RAST 2,340,769

TIME RECORDER Filed Nov. 5, 1940 s sheets -sheet 2 INVENTOR f ATTORNEYFeb. 1, 1944. F. RAST 2,340,769

TIME RECORDER Filed Nov. 5, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIGB; a

' AT'TORNEY NVENTOR Patented Feb. 1, 1944 TIME RECORDER Frederick Q.Rast, Binghamton, N. Y., assignor to International Business MachinesCorporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York ApplicationNovember 5, 1940, Serial No. 364,393

1 Claim.

This invention relates to time recording devices and, more particularly,to portable time recorders.

The instant invention has for its general object the provision of animproved time recorder of simple and novel construction which may beenclosed in a small case and easily transported from place to place tomake the required time recordings.

Another object resides in the provision of improved drive mechanismcapable of changing the continuous motion of a marine escapement clockmechanism into an intermittent drive for stepping the time type wheelsat minute intervals.

Still another object is to provide a coupling between a timing mechanismwhich progresses by uniform steps and a time manifesting means, thecoupling providing for a relative adjustment of the timing mechanism andthe-time manifesting means, by steps corresponding to movements of thetime manifesting means one time unit in length.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the followingdescription and claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention andthe best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the recorder with the casing on.

- Fig. 2 shows a section taken through the casing to reveal theoperating mechanism in side elevation.

Fig. 3 shows a section taken through the casing to disclose themechanism in front elevation.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of an adjustable coupling between the timingmechanism and the time indicating and printing means.

Fig. 4a is a modification of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings and particular- 1y to Fig. 1, I0 is aremovable cover with provision for attachment of a strap ll suitable forcarrying the recorder. The front of the cover is provided with a clockface l2 and has a slit I3 to permit insertion of a time sheet. Thecovering I0 is secured to a base plate l4 (Figs. 2 and 3) by suitableclamping means (not shown) to prevent unauthorized persons from havingaccess to the time mechanism. A plate is fastened clock mechanism and isjournaled between plate l5 and another plate I! parallel thereto. l8 andI9 denote drums containing spring motor drive mechanisms which are woundfor driving in opposite directions. The spring drum l8 carries a gear.which meshes with a gear 2| fixed to shaft 22. Spring drum l9 has a gear23 which drives a gear 24 on shaft 25. Thus shafts 22 and 25 gear forrotation in opposite directions by spring -motor drive mechanismscontained in drums l8 and I9, respectively.

Shaft 22 carries an escapement wheel 26 provided with square-cut notches26a spaced at equal distances around its periphery. The escapement wheelcooperates with the bent over lugs 21 of a disk 28 freely mounted onshaft 25 in the following manner: shaft 25, which, as previouslydescribed,'is driven by spring motor I9,

to plate M by bolts l6 and spaced therefrom by suitable spacers.

The marine escapement comprises a well known has fastened to it a gear29 which in turn meshes with a gear 30 loosely mounted on shaft 22. Gear30 has a gear 3| integral therewith which meshes with a gear 32 carriedby the disk 28, thereby imparting movement to the disk 28 to cause thelugs 21 to pass intermittently through the notches 26a of the escapementwheel 26. The escapement wheel is continuously turning at a slow rate ofspeed and it is only when one of the notches 2150. comes into alignmentwith the adjacent lug 21 of disk 28 that the disk is permitted to step adistance corresponding to the space between lugs. It should be notedthat the spring motor l8 which furnishes the driving power for theescapement wheel 26 may be placed under control of any suitable clockescapement mechanism.

Gear 29 carries pawls 33, 34, and 35 (Figs. 4 and 5) pivotally mountedthereon by pins 39. These pawls engage, one at a time, with the teeth ofan internal ratchet 3B which is integral with a gear 31 fixed to the hub48 of a shaft 40 which carries the minute hand 4|. The ratchet isprovided with 20 teeth and the three pawls are spaced one third of atooth out of phase, so that only one is engageable in the ratchet at atime. Gears 31 and 29 are thus normally connected for movement together.However, the ratchet and pawl connection provides a breakable link inthe drive mechanism so that the indicating hands and type wheels may beset without affecting the position of gear 29. The fact that there arethree pawls and twenty teeth in the ratchet provides for sixty steps ofmovement during one complete revolution of gear 31 when this gear is setmanually with respect to gear 29. The engagement and release of pawls33, 34, and

as with respect to internal ratchet as is controlled by a camming actionof a plate 38 located between gears 28 and 31. The plate has elongatedholcs through which the pivot studs 38 of the pawls extend, the holesbeing considerably larger than the studs, so as to provide for a limitedrelative movement of the plate 38 with respect to the gear 29. Threepins 49, one for each pawl, are mounted on plate 38 and engage the tailsof these pawls to cam the pawls out of engagement with the ratchet teeth36 as plate 38 is rotated manually in a clockwise direction. Notches arespaced around the rim of plate 38 to facilitate this manual shift. .Thetails of the pawls are provided with two notches cooperating with thepins 49 in two different positions of the plate 38. When the deepernotches 50 are opposite the pins 49 the pawls have freedom to move intothe tooth spaces of the ratchet 36, under the force of springs 52. Whenthe pins 49 shift, to the shallower notches 5|, the pawls are held clearof the ratchet teeth and the gear 31 can be rotated freely with respectto the gear 29. As the gear 31 turns, the pawls come into register withtooth spaces of the ratchet in succession and when the plate 38 isturned to move the pins 49 back to the notches 50, one of the pawls willdrop into one of the tooth spaces, to secure an even minute positioningof the minute hand. Shaft 40 is also connected through suitablereduction gearing 42 and sleeve 43 to the hour hand 44. Gear 31 mesheswith an intermediate gear 45 which in turn meshes with gear 46 to drivetype wheel unit 41. Gear 46 drives the minute wheel and the remainder ofthe wheels are driven through well known transfer mechanism which formsno part of the present invention. The intermediate gear is fixed to itsshaft 53, which is square ended, to receive a key for setting the handsand type wheels.

Fig. 4a shows a modification of the coupling illustrated in Fig. 4. Twogears H9 and I31 are mounted on shaft 25 in a manner similar to thegears 29 and 31 of Fig 4. Between them is a plate I38 rotatably mountedby its hub I380 upon the hub I48 of gear I31. The gear I31 has acircular series of internal teeth I03, with which teeth IOUa of alocking member I00 interlock. The locking member has an elongatedcentral aperture I001) embracing the hub I380 and an elongated slot I000by which it is guided upon a pin I39 fixed to the gear I29. A spring l0!laid over the hub I38c engages at its ends the arms I00d of the lockingmember I00, thrusting the locking member radially outward toward therack teeth I03. The plate I38 is provided with lugs I38a by which it canbe manually rotated for a limited distance, a slot I381) for the pin I39being made in the plate I38, to allow for this movement. A pin I48 fixedto locking member I00 rides in a cam slot I38b, I38d of the plate I38,as the plate is rotated, to move the locking member I00 into and out ofengagement with the rack teeth I03. By rocking the plate I38 to throwthe looking member I00 out of engagement with the rack teeth I03, thecoupling frees the gear I31, so that the time indicating hands andprinting wheels can be set, as previously described.

Further description of the type wheel drive may be had by referring tomy copending application Serial No. 305,082.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out thefundamental novel features of the invention as applied to twomodifications, it will be understood that various omissions andsubstitutions and changes in the form and details of the deviceillustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intentiontherefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the followingclaim.

What is claimed is:

In a device of the class described, an escapement mechanism, comprisinga controlling member and a controlled member, both rotatably mounted;two spring mechanisms drivingly connected with said controlling memberand said controlled member, respectively, so as to rotate each of saidmembers; means for governing the rotation of said controlling member ata definite rate; said members having interengaging means thereon adaptedto restrict said controlled member to an intermittent rotation in onedirection by uniform steps, as said controlling member rotates; timemanifesting means connected to said controlled member so as to beadvanced one time unit for each step of the controlled member; theconnections between said controlled member and said time manifestingmeans including a coupling comprising disengageable locking membersadapted to interlock in certain positions so related to each other that,in shifting from one position to the next, said time manifesting meansis moved through one time unit.

FREDERICK Q. RAST.

